Pipe wrench



Dec. 8, 1936. I 1 v LARSON 2,063,318

PIPE WRENCH Y Filed Aug. 2 6, 1935 JH, afa/:5031,

Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to that type of pipe wrenches constituting thesubject matter of my former Patent No. 1,602,619 dated Oct. 12, 1926, inwhich the adjustable jaw and its operating sleeve nut are operativelyassociated with the main or stationary jaw of the wrench by anintermediate rocker yoke, of an angular formation, pivotally mounted inthe stationary jaw to provide limited independent movement between therespective wrench jaws in attaining an effective initial holding grip onthe pipe operated on, previous to a forcible turning operation of saidpipe, and this improvement has for its objects:

To provide a structural formation of the rocker yoke by which theoperating sleeve nut of the wrench is carried, and whereby said yoke isadapted to strengthen and reinforce the forward guide sleeve of the mainjaw against the excessive strain to which said sleeve is subjected inactual use of the wrench.

To provide a structural formation of an upstanding member of the rockeryoke aforesaid and the parts of the wrench coacting therewith, wherebythe adjusting sleeve nut of the wrench is maintained in place againstaccidental displacement and loss, when the adjustable wrench jaw isseparated from the other wrench parts for cleaning, repair, etc., all aswill hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an adjustable pipe wrench embodying thepresent improvements and showing the parts in their normal inactivepositions.

Fig. 2 is a companion side elevation illustrating the wrench members inposition for actual use on a section of pipe or the like.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3 Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevation illustratingthe internal construction of the stationary jaw member, the adjustablejaw member being removed from position therein.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5-5 Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rocker yoke 45 in a detachedcondition.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

The general construction and operation of the wrench members in thisimprovement are similar in most respects to that of the wrench membersset forth in my aforesaid Letters Patent No. 1,602,619, with the presentconstruction comprising main wrench member the body portion I of whichis formed with a rearwardly extending shank portion 2 constituting anoperating handle or lever of the wrench.

At its forward end said body portion carries the fixed gripper jaw 3,usually of a serrated formation, and in addition is formed with a pairof tubular guide brackets 4 and 5 in angular relation to the fixed jaw3, with such brackets providing means in which the shank portion of thehereinafter described adjustable wrench member is mounted and guided inproper aligned relation to the main body and its fixed gripper jaw 3aforesaid.

The brackets 4 and 5 are arranged in spaced relation, one to the other,to provide an intervening space for the reception and positioning of theusual sleeve nut 6 by which the movable wrench jaw is adjusted to andfrom the fixed gripper jaw 3 aforesaid, and in addition the describedseparation of the brackets 4 and 5 provides space for the reception andpivotal mounting of the hereinafter described rocker yoke of the wrench.

The adjustable wrench member, heretofore referred to, comprises acarrying head 1 for the movable gripper jaw 8 of the wrench, and isformed with an elongated bar or shank 9 in angular relation to the jaw1, with the top and bottom edges of the bar or shank screw threaded foroperative engagement with the aforesaid operating sleeve nut 6, and withits fiat sides adapted g,

for sliding engagement with the inner side faces of the bracket members4 and 5, with a view to resist any lateral stress in the shank or bar inactual use of the wrench, while permitting of the usual rockingmovements of the movable jaw member in the usual manipulation of thewrench in actual use. Such construction and movement of parts is usualin the present type of pipe wrenches, and more particularly in the typeof wrench set forth in my aforesaid Patent No. 1,602,619.

The rocker member or yoke, heretofore referred to, is in manyparticulars similar to the rocker yoke of my aforesaid patent, havingalike angular shape and comprising a construction as follows:

A main portion I0 of a disk shape, orificed to have a snug sliding fitupon the screw threaded shank 9 of the adjustable gripper jaw member,and in this improvement said rocker yoke is formed with rearwardlyextending tongues Il at the respective sides of its central orificeadapted to project into the interior of the adjusting sleeve nut 6, andsliding contact with the sides of the shank 9 of the gripper jaw member,and adapted to engage and maintain said sleeve nut in proper relationwith remaining parts of the wrench after a removal of the adjustablegripper jaw member is made for the purpose of cleaning, repair and likeoperations on the wrench parts. The object being to avoid trouble due toloss of time and labor in recovering the sleeve nut, when the same in adisassemblage of the wrench parts the sleeve nut falls to the floor andfor a time is lost.

The other, and rearwardly extendingI portion I2 of the angularly formedrocker or yoke member is of a fiat formation, and in the presentimprovement is formed with an upturned abutment lug I3 having limitedmovement to and from abutment shoulders I4 provided in the forward endsof the side webs of the rearward bracket member 5. The purpose being,with the lug I3 in contact with the shoulders I4 aforesaid, the rockeror yoke member is rigidly held against.

further independent movement, and thus constitutes a brace for thecomparatively thin side walls of the forward bracket member 4, tostrengthen the same under the strain which is imposed on said walls inthe actual use of the wrench.

As in my former patented construction the rocker or yoke member isprovided at the intersection of its angularly disposed members I0 and I2with a semi-circular pivot lug I5 adapted to provide limited pivotalmovement to said rocker or yoke member in like pivot recesses formed inthe rear edges of the side walls for the forward bracket member 4 nearthe lower portions thereof. While in the preferred construction shown inFigs. 1, 2, 4 and 6, operative connection between the operating sleevenut 6 and the rocker or yoke member is attained by a longitudinal grooveI formed in the upper face of the rearwardly extending member I2 of saidyoke member and into which the lowermost portion of said sleeve nut fitsand has operative engagement.

A normal tendency to move the movable gripper jaw 8 and its associatedparts into a normally closed relation of the gripper jaws, shown in Fig.l, is maintained by a leaf spring I'I secured at its rear end on theupper face of the wrench handle 2, with its free and forward end havingresilient bearing againstI the under face of the rearwardly extendingmember I2 of the yoke member. Said arrangement requiring a manualseparation of said jaws in an initial application of the wrench to asection of pipe or like article that is to be operated on.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new, is:-

1. In a wrench of the type described, the combination of a main jawmember provided with an operating handle at its rear end and a pair oftubular guide brackets near its forward end, said brackets beingarranged in spaced relation with the forward bracket formed with a pivotrecess in the lower portion of its rear wall and the rearward bracketformed with an abutment shoulder in its forward end adjacent to thelower portion of the bracket, an adjustable jaw member having ascrew-threaded shank adapted for sliding and rocking engagement in saidguide brackets, a sleeve nut arranged between said guide brackets andhaving operative engagement with the screw threaded shank of theadjustable jaw member, and a rocker yoke of an angular form arrangedbetween the aforesaid guide brackets and comprising a forward centrallyoriced portion having a sliding t on the screw threaded shank of saidadjustable jaw member, and a rearwardly extending portion of said rockeryoke being formed with a holding flange at its rear end having operativeengagement with the lower side of the sleeve nut aforesaid, the rear endof said rocker 'f yoke having sliding movement against the forward endof the rearward guide bracket with its rear end adapted to contact withthe aforesaid abutment of the rear guide bracket to limit the movementof the rocker yoke.

2. A wrench of the construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein therear end of the rearwardly extending portion of the rocker yoke isformed with an upturned lug for contact with the aforesaid stop shoulderof the rearward guide bracket.

3. A wrench of the construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein theorificed portion of the rocker yoke is provided with rearwardlyextending lugs at the sides of its orifice adapted to fit the bore ofthe sleeve nut and maintain the same in proper position between theguide brackets in a disassembly of the wrench for repair, etc.

' JOHN V. LARSON.

